June 10, 2013

Momentum is high for major solar legislation in New York State, but
it’s a race to the finish to get it passed before lawmakers go home for
the year.

The New York Solar Bill, which would enact a ten-year extension of
Governor Cuomo’s successful NY-Sun Initiative, was reported out of the
Assembly Ways and Means Committee yesterday and is headed to the
Assembly floor for a vote. The Assembly is expected to bring the bill up
for a vote in the next few days. A version of the bill already
unanimously passed the Senate on Earth Day.

Even if passed in the sixteen days remaining in the 2013 legislative
session, lawmakers will need to reconcile the differences between Senate
and Assembly versions in order to make the New York Solar Bill law.

Solar has gained increasing attention from state lawmakers following
the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy, which exposed New York’s
energy infrastructure as grossly outdated and unable to weather the
effects of climate change. At a time when the state faces the dual
challenges of failing energy infrastructure and an economy still in
recovery, it’s increasingly clear that solar is ready to help build a
stronger New York.

“This bill will serve to expand upon access to a clean, renewable
energy source that must be part of the conversation regarding the energy
future of our state and nation,” said the bill’s sponsor, Assemblyman
Steven Englebright (D-Setauket). He went on to “applaud Governor Cuomo
and Assemblywoman Paulin for taking the lead on this issue and
urge...colleagues in the Senate to join us in ensuring that New York’s
energy future is on a sustainable track.”

NY-Sun was established to drive growth in the state’s solar industry
and lower solar costs for New York energy consumers. The program is
delivering on its goal of quadrupling the amount of customer-sited solar
PV capacity added between 2011 and 2013. The state incentives are
leveraging millions more in private solar investment and deploying solar
at record rates for the state, but its run-time of just a couple of
years doesn’t provide the long-term planning horizon needed for real
market transformation.

In his 2013 State of the State address, Governor Cuomo committed to
extending the NY-Sun Initiative through 2023. The New York Solar Bill
would solidify that $150 million per year extension in statute, ensuring
that New Yorkers benefit from a stable and predictable long-term
incentive program. All told, that will deploy an impressive 2.2
gigawatts in the state, bringing it out of the shadow of solar
powerhouse neighbors like Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Jersey.

For the state’s solar industry, the proposal means ten years of
increased market certainty on which to build business. New York
currently ranks 12th in the country for total installed solar capacity.
There are 3,300 New Yorkers already employed in the state’s growing
solar industry. In 2012, $257 million was invested in New York to
install solar on homes and businesses in 2012, a 91 percent increase
over the previous year. That is expected to grow again in 2013 thanks to
NY-Sun.

Long Island-based solar installer EmPower Solar has expanded from five
to 50 employees over the past five years, a rare spot of growth in the
recession economy. “This month, we hired our first new team member since
Hurricane Sandy decimated our operation, and we have several more hires
planned for 2013,” said David G. Schieren, chief executive officer of
EmPower Solar. “Passing this solar bill will provide policy stability so
that responsible companies such as ours can continue to expand and
build a highly skilled workforce.”

SunPower, SunEdison, Borrego Solar, Sungevity, Sunrun and SolarCity all
serve New York energy customers, and Verengo Solar recently announced
its expansion into the state.

"A stable solar marketplace has been a necessary prerequisite for
SolarCity to complete over 1,200 solar projects for New York residents
and businesses, while employing over 130 people. This bill will provide
long-term market certainty so that we can continue to invest in a
growing New York industry," said the company’s regional vice president
of East Coast operations Lee Keshishian.

As is true elsewhere in the country, strong solar policy is also
proving popular among New Yorkers. Over the past two weeks alone, nearly
10,000 New Yorkers have sent messages of solar support to their elected
officials. A statewide poll conducted for Vote Solar showed an
overwhelming 89 percent support for increasing the use of solar to meet
the state’s power needs -- more than any other resource.

Business and environmental groups converged at the Capitol yesterday to
urge lawmakers to deliver the landmark solar policy to Governor Cuomo’s
desk this legislative session. Dave Gahl, executive director of
Environmental Advocates of New York, may have said it best: “New York's
sun is underemployed, and by passing this bill the Legislature can put
it to work.”